Director’s Message

The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute (BNRI), in the Department of Psychiatry, was opened in 2000 due to a generous gift from the late Irving and Betty Brudnick under the sponsorship of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. Its mission is to establish a strong center dedicated to pursuing the biological underpinnings of mental illness, and paving the way for new treatments and cures. 

The BNRI faculty Web sites highlight some of the exciting progress in specific areas of biological psychiatry and neuroscience. Over the course of the past few years and up to the present day, Brudnick Scientists – primarily supported by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations – have worked at the research frontiers for depression, psychosis, dementia, and substance abuse disorders; and have made important contributions in their fields. Many of their achievements came through collaborations with other researchers within and outside this campus. The BNRI has established itself as a major hub for translational brain research (“from bench to bedside”) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

The BNRI also focuses on mentoring. We take pride in the fact that an increasing number of graduate students complete their thesis work at the BNRI, and do so very successfully. A growing number of our alumni have moved on to some of the most prestigious academic institutions, which speaks to our commitment and excellence in mentoring the next generation of scientists.

Andrew Tapper, Ph.D.
Interim Director, Irving S. and Betty Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry